Fencepost



G. V. HARDING.

FENCEPOS-T.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. IL 1920- 1,399,426, Patented Dec. 6, 1921. 2?;1.

3 .Z Z n j Mi 7 Q t 6 WITNESS INVENTOR George Harding ATTORNEY I UNITED STATES GEORGE V. HARDING, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

FENCEPC'ST.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 6, 1921.

Application filed March 17, 1920. Serial No. 366,651.

To all-10710921 it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE V. HARDING, a citizen of tie United States, and a resident of the city of Oakland, county of Alameda, State of California, have made a new and useful inventionto wit, Improvements in Fenceposts; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, concise, and exact description of the same.

This invention relates more particularly to steel fence posts of the drive type.

AmOHg the objects of this invention are to produce an effective fence post of maximum efficiency at minimum cost; that is easily a d cheaply installed; that can be packed in compact bundles for shipment and handling. Gther objects and advantages will appear as this description progresses.

In this specification and the annexed drawings, the invention is illustrated in the form considered to be the best, but it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to such form, because it may be embodied in other forms; and it is also to be understood that in and by the claims fol lowing the description, it is desired to cover the invemion in whatsoever form it may be embodied.

In the accompanying one sheet of drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a fence post constructed and installed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a sine elevation of the same.

Figs. 3 and read together, show a frag ment of the lower edge of the upper section withdrawn from the drive section.

Figs. 5 and 6 are front elevations of the same. Y

Fig. 7 is a plan view from above, illustrating the manner of casting a concrete post, using this invention as a reinforcing means.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view illustrating the driving head.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary detail of the overhanging top.

In detail the construction illustrated in the drawings includes a driven member, preferably composed of a length of T iron, having its three flanges, 1, 2 and 3 sheared obliquely to form the point 4, to reduce the resistance of driving the member into the ground. To prevent the driven member be ing readily withdrawn the several flanges 1, 2 and 3 are provided with shear cuts obliquely into the flanges, to form the barbs 6 tiat are alternately bent right and left similar to the method of setting a saw. The ends pf these barbs or teeth extending to opposite sides of the planes of the beveled flanges 1, 2 and 3, because of their shape, present little resistance to the driving of the drivenmember into the ground, but presents a decided resistance to its withdrawal, performing much the same function as clenching a nail. The flange 2 at its upper end 7 adjacent to the plane of the flange 13, has the notch 8 formed by removing the metal with a suitable die.

For the purpose of driving the driven member and to prevent the distortion of the flanges 1-8 and 2, I provide the malleable driving head 7; that is supplied with a T shaped recess to fit the T shape top of the driven member and adapted to reeive the blow of the hammer or maul used in driving the driven member.

The upper section is preferably formed of the same T shaped bar steel having the flanges l", 2" and 3. The flange 1 is cut away to form the extension 9 of flange 13, hat is provided with the notch 10 at its bottom to engage the flange 2 at the bottom of the socket notch 8. The end of the top section may be tapered away as at 11-1l, to facilitate the entrance of the top 5-; ction should it be desired to drive the driven section deeper than ordinary, leaving its upper portion flush with the surface of the ground. .Vith the notch 10 properly engaging the bottom of the notch 8, theeX- tension 9 lies within the notch 8 with its shoulder 12 against the top 7 of the flange 2. To prevent lateral motion of the upper section on the lower or driven section, the

upper section is provided with thenotches 13 and 14 set on the same level in the flanges 1-3 substantially in alinement with the lower edge 12 of the flange 2. The driven member is provided with the lateral cuts 15 and 16, below the level of the top 7 of the flange 2, to a depth equal to the depth of the notches l3 and 1% to form the lugs 17 and 18. When the top section is assembled on the driven section these lugs 17 and 18 may be bent into the notches 13 and 14 by the blow of a hammer, thus effectually locking the upper section from withdrawal from the lower section and preventing the lateral movement of the upper section with respect to the lower section, forming the two sections into a rigid whole. If it is desired at any time to separate the two sections a blow on the lugs 17 and 18 will bend them back out of the notches 13 and 14 permitting the removal of the upper section from the lower section. A like result may be accom-- arated and the drivensection withdrawmif any of it is left, and a new lower section driven in its place and the old upper section assembled upon it in the manner de scribed. To prevent too rapid corroding and deterioration of the post it is desirable "that'bothsections be dipped in a proper rust resisting paint or galvan, or other protective coating applied.

F or the support of woven wire fencing such as illustrated in the drawing, I provide the flange 2 at intervals with the notches 19, into which the strands 20 of'thefence may be inserted and the points 21 of the notch bent downward by a blow of a hammer, as illustrated in Fig. .1, securelylocl ing the strands 20 within the notches 19. If at any time it isdesired to remove the strand 20, a cold chisel may be inserted behind the point 21 and it may again be set back to ermit the withdrawal of the strands. 20.

Vhere the span betweenpostsis consider able 1 provide the top of the post with a notch 22 into which the guy wire 23 may rest and the top strand 24 of the fence may be attached thereto intermediate the posts to prevent sagging of the fence. The notches 19and 19' may extend upward as iii-Fig. 1

r and downward as in Fig. 2, the advantage of this "is that the post illustrated in Fig. 1 maybe setin the swales or hollows between knolls where thetension of thefence is upward," holding the strands 20 securelyin. the

throat of the notches. This upward lifting tendency is. counteracted by thebarbs on the drivenmeinber, to prevent the with-.

drawal of the post by the tension of the wire fence. For the reversed condition,

where the posts are set on an elevation such as passing over knollsor high'places, the notches may be set downward as at 19 whereby the supporting tension holds the strands 20securely. in the" throats of the notches.

Where an overhanging strand of wire is desirable as at Fig. 9, the flange'2 may be cut away and the bend 25 formed, whereby .theioverhanging portion 26 of the flange 13 supports the strand 27. This is a valu- ,able adjunct in what is known as riot fencing and fences calculated to prevent trespassing. v v

Where it is desired to provide an orna- Inentalp'osthaving all of the advantages of this invention, the post maybe surrounded by the folding form 28 ofany desired shape exposing the outer section of the flange 2, to expose the notches 19. The form 28 may then be poured full of concrete and the form withdrawn in any suitable manner after the concrete hasset. Other possibilities will be manifested to those skilled in this art, without departing from the spirit of this invention.

Having thus described this invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters 1. A fence post comprising a flat bar, driven section havlng. a longitudinal flange thereon, said' bar and flange tapering to a pointed end and having a socket formed in "the end OPPOSltQ said pointed end; an upper section of similar cross-section adapted to engage the socket in said driven section 'whereby the longitudinal flange in said.

thereon said bar and fian e ta erino to a pointed endand having barbs formed. thereon" anda 's'ocket formed in the end of said driven. sectionopposite the tapered end; an uppersection of simil'arcross-section to said driven section provided with aflange pow tion thereon adapted to engage'said' socket whereby said longitudinal flange iirsaid driven section alines withthe corresponding flange in'the upper section; lugs and notches formed respectively in the flat portions of said sections whereby said lugs maybe bent intosaid notches. and a plurality of notches provided in alined longitudinal "flanges;

In testimonywhereofll have hereuntoset my hand 'at SanFrancisco, California, this 12th day of March, .1920.

GEORGE V. HARDING.

In the presence of- I LINCOLN V. JoHNsoN. 

